50th Annual Wayne Gretzky International Tournament – Day 1, News, Major Bantam Red, 2019-2020, MD (Kitchener Minor Hockey)

This Team is part of the 2019-2020 season, which is not set as the current season.
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Dec 28, 2019 | Dave Horne | 97 views
50th Annual Wayne Gretzky International Tournament – Day 1
The Kitchener Jr Rangers MD Red team started the day in perfect fashion with a 3 to 0 win over the host Brantford 99ers and a 4 to 0 win over the Waterloo Wolves White Saturday aftertoon, wrapping up 1st place after Day 1.

Owen Neomytka is riding back to back shutouts and Aiden Radatus is on a three-game shutout streak. In fact, the Rangers have 8 shutouts in their past 10 games played and 12 times have shutout the opposition this season.

It has been a combination of stellar goaltending and elite defensive play that has allowed this success.

On the defensive side, the Rangers have been combining solid defensive players with offensive minded players and the recipe has brought out the best in each paring. Noah Park’s play making and finesse compliments Chad Morris’ solid positioning, calm and reliable game. Toby Pryce’s run and gun style fits perfectly with Kodi Blackshaw’s hard nosed quarterback-like style and Matt Gallant has been able to thrive making perfect outlet passes and tough man to man coverage decisions knowing Josh McDonald’s high hockey IQ allows him to read when to cover and when to attack making them a solid double threat.

Against the 99ers, Jacob Reid-Brant opened the scoring from Logan Duke and Connor Coughlin. Coughlin added a goal to put the Rangers up by 2 with a rocket top shelf backhand from Pryce and Blackshaw on the powerplay. Duke scored the final goal shorthanded from Reid-Brant.

Against the Wolves, Evan Peori opened the scoring from Pryce and Coughlin. Reid-Brant scored on a quick zone entry from Blackshaw. Jake Fisher scored from Pryce and Blackshaw and Peori had the final goal from Fisher.

The forwards also have played a key role in the team’s ability to keep the opposition off the scoreboard. With guys like Quinten Earle, Stephen Peppas and Denver Heiman back checking hard and being responsible in the defensive zone.

Tomorrow the Rangers will be up early to face the other Waterloo team, Wolves Black, and get to face off against a team they have yet to play, LPC Wild, who are a top ranked team in Ontario and have also gotten off to a great start. The Rangers will need to keep working hard if they plan to stay undefeated and continue frustrating teams by not allowing them to score.

Go Rangers!